IL2

Messerschmitt Bf-110G Zerstörer NJG3.3 (D5+DT) 1943 00

Profile 00: Messerschmitt Bf-110G-4 'D5+DT' of 9./NJG3, Stade, early 1943 This aircraft was finished in the standard 1943 day fighter scheme of grey 76 on the undersurfaces with 74 and 75 on the uppersurfaces, these two colors breaking up into mottles on the fuselage sides. The fuselage Balkenkreuz was the white outline type and the fuselage code was in black. Note that this aircraft retained the bomb racks under the wings and fuselage and has the same tail fins as on earlier Bf-110 variants.

Messerschmitt Bf-110G Zerstörer NJG3.9 (D5+DT) 1943 01

Photo 01: The first examples of the Bf-110G-4 were delivered to III./NJG3 at Stade in early 1943 and this photograph showing two aircraft of 9./NJG3 in daylight over northern Germany was probably taken soon afterwards, by which time the earlier all-black night fighter finish began to give way to the standard 74/75/76 day fighter scheme. These machines are coded D5+DT and D5+LT and, for security reasons, have the first two characters of the code about one fifth of the size of the remaining letters. Both aircraft are fitted with FuG 212 airborne radar, but note that the machine nearest the camera also has bomb racks under the wings and the fuselage centre section.